Changes
by evermaytheodds
Summary: After the Battle. Ron/Hermione
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

It had been two weeks since the Battle at Hogwarts, and though everyone was ecstatic that Voldemort was gone for good, everyone was still in deep mourning for those who had died in the Battle. As Ron lay in his bed at the Burrow staring at the darkened ceiling, trying not to let his mind wander to thoughts of Fred, his door cracked open, and then closed just as swiftly.

"Ron? Are you awake?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes love," Ron whispered back, quickly wiping the tears away that had sprung to his eyes seconds before at the thought of his brother.

As Hermione climbed into his bed and snuggled up against him for warmth, Ron wrapped his arms around her gratefully. She always made him feel better when he was thinking about stuff like that. The same was true for her; sometimes she would wake up screaming, having nightmares about being tortured at Malfoy Manor, and it was so much more comforting to realize that she was safe when she was in Ron's arms.

As the two relaxed in each other's arms and drifted off to sleep, Ron's thoughts wandered to the night after the Battle.

[Flashback]

After everyone had decided it would be best to get some sleep, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and other Gryffindors made their way up to Gryffindor Tower to their dormitories. Harry fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow, too mentally and physically exhausted to think properly any longer.

This left Ron in his bed, shaking silently, at all the thoughts flashing through his head. _Fred, struck down, face still smiling, all his fault. Harry, laying limply in Hagrid's arms, thought to be dead, all his fault. Hermione's screams echoing terribly off the walls at the Malfoy Manor, all his fault. _As each of these images reeled through his head, he only shook harder with silent sobs. How could he have let Fred die like that? He was right there...Right there, next to him. He could have blocked the curse... But now it's too late. He's already gone... And Hermione. Hermione, being tortured like that. Right above his head, and he couldn't do a thing about it. Her screams were echoing in his head, getting louder and louder...

"R-Ron?" Hermione's shaky voice broke through his thoughts. "C-Can I come in?"

Ron quickly turned to look at her, and saw in the moonlight coming in through the window that her face was red and covered in tears. She was shaking and holding herself as though she were about to break apart.

"Of course," Ron whispered.

Momentarily forgetting about his own problems, he began climbing out of bed as Hermione rushed towards him and practically fell into his arms. It seemed that she was shaking involuntarily, and she was clinging to him as though if she let go, she would never get him back.

"Shh...It's okay...It's all over. I've got you. You're safe." Ron whispered to her.

She looked up at him, tears leaking out of her eyes, and said "I'm s-sorry. Y-You have more things g-going on than I do and h-here I am c-crying like a child. I'm s-s-sor..." But she was cut short by Ron leaning down to kiss her softly.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm glad you came in here, I actually feel a lot better with you here, even if you are crying," Ron told her, grinning. He wiped a tear off her cheek. Hermione smiled shyly. She had stopped sobbing; the kiss seemed to have wiped all other things from her mind, as Ron hoped it might. Well, plus he really wanted to kiss her.

She was clearly exhausted, as was he, so he gently got back into bed, bringing her with him. This was such a natural move, neither of them questioned it, and fell asleep instantly in each other's arms.

[Flashback over]

Ron smiled at the memory, and fell asleep with Hermione in his arms once again.

**How did you guys like it? Good/bad? Reviews would awesome! I may continue the story, give me ideas of where you want me to take it! I will most definitely take requests! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!**

**Chapter 2**

Hermione's sceam was blood curling. Ron and Hermione had been asleep for only a few hours. She was shaking all over, screaming, sobbing. Ron's eyes snapped open as he began trying to soothe her.

"Hermione...Hermione, love, everything's okay. Love, I'm right here. That foul woman can't get you here. Shh...Shh.." Ron was holding her in his lap, and brushing the hair out of her face. She was covered in chillbumps, and he was trying to make her warmer by rubbing her arms.

No one came in his room to see what was the matter. They all knew why Hermione was screaming, and they also knew that Ron was the best person to help calm her. She had felt very embarrased about it ever since Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, George, Ginny, and Harry had all burst in her room to see what was the matter the first night it happened.

Hermione had calmed down but was still shaking slightly. She looked up at Ron and burst into tears again, clinging at his chest. Ron lay her back down with him and whispered soothing things to her until she fell asleep, cradled in his arms.

The sun shone into Ron's bedroom at the Burrow right onto Hermione's face. This, consequently, woke her up. She yawned and looked up at Ron's sleeping face. His face was relaxed, with a smile playing at his lips. Hermione grinned at him. He was so adorable.

She still could not believe she was actually, finally, with him. All those years of fights, arguments, laughter, and longing, and now she was with him, in his arms. She couldn't stop smiling, gazing into his sleeping face. Even with all the tragedy and mourning around her, it was like when she and Ron were together, they were in their own little world.

Hermione reached her hand up to brush some of Ron's red hair out of his face. He blinked his eyes open, and smiled down at her.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, tightening his hold on her.

Hermione blushed. "Good morning," she mumbled with a smile on her face.

He leaned down and kissed her softly, before getting up to get dressed.

"I take it you smelled breakfast?" Hermione giggled.

"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about!" Ron said.

"Right. Well, I'll be down there soon," Hermione said, still smiling, as she got out of the bed and stretched. "I'm just going to take a quick shower."

As she walked towards the door, Ron swept her up in his arms once again from behind her, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Ron," she giggled. "What are you doing?"

"I can't just let you walk out like that without doing this first," he said. And he spun her around and kissed her slowly.

They both looked dazed as they broke apart.

"Ron, I haven't even brushed my teeth yet! And neither have you," Hermione laughed.

Ron laughed. "And your point is...?"

Hermione laughed as she kissed his cheek and left his room with a skip in her step.

She hoped they could continue all this lovey-dovey behavior for at least a while. With all the grief that surrounded them, it was hard to even imagine getting upset with anyone, but it was almost as if they were both waiting for something to break out between them. She and Ron, being who they were, were known for fighting every other day, but had kept it together the past two weeks. Hermione hadn't even realized that they hadn't had a single row for two weeks, until just then, and she felt quite good about it.

**Okay, how did you like it? I liked writing it, I hope you liked reading it! I love getting any kind of reviews or feedback, so that'd be great! Tell me where you want it to go next! Thanks for reading! :)**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys. I am sooooo sorry about this huge lapse of time that has passed without me posting anything! My laptop charger broke, and I only recently got a new one. Plus, school work has been overwhelming. I could have found time to post a new chapter, but I just haven't been in the right place. Hope you understand, and I hope you like this chapter, and haven't all lost faith in me yet! **

**I don't own Harry Potter!**

Hermione was coming down the stairs for lunch as Ginny slammed the door from the kitchen that led to the garden. Harry spun around, face red, as he ran his fingers through his already messy hair, to turn to Hermione. She raised her eyebrows at him.

Harry took a deep breath. "It's nothing," he said.

Hermione placed her hand on her hip and looked at him, her eyebrows nearly reaching her hairline.

"Ah! Nothing! Just...Just she can be so damn sensitive sometimes and I don't know how to deal with it at all...I mean... Bloody hell I was just telling her I liked the blouse she was wearing, and then she went off on me about how I told her that in a weird voice or some rubbish like that and the next thing I know she's storming off like I just told her her head was shaped oddly, when really, all I did was tell her I liked the blouse she was wearing!" he finished with a desperate sigh. "I don't know what to do with her sometimes. Really."

Hermione giggled. "She probably didn't like you saying that because the blouse she's wearing today is much too small for her; she was complaining about it just this morning, and about how she didn't have any clothes. So she probably thought you were just trying to make it better or something, when she obviously doesn't feel that it is okay that the majority of her clothes don't fit her properly."

"Oh," said Harry sheepishly.

"Yep."

"Maybe...Maybe I should take her shopping?"

"Sounds like a smart move." Hermione grinned.

"Thanks Hermione, you're a lifesaver. Like always."

As he began to walk toward her to give her a hug, he tripped over the rug and fell into Hermione. She shrieked and began laughing as they fell, tangled, to the ground.

"Ack, Hermione, I can't get up, you're on my robes!"

"How did that even happen?" Hermione laughed, finding this much more funny than it actually was, maybe because she was so caught up in how wonderful things with Ron were going. Everything was going so well with him, she just couldn't stop smiling.

Ron cleared his throat from the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt, but an owl just came for you Hermione," he said bluntly, throwing a letter onto the table and strutting back out of the room.

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances before finally managing to get back on their feet.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"No idea..." she said faintly, her smile fading, as she opened the already broken seal to her letter. A look of understanding appeared on her face. "Oh. Of course. It's from Viktor. I doubt Ron even bothered to read the rest of the letter, not after he saw who it was from."

"And I suppose him walking in on us on the ground didn't really help much either, hmm.." Harry said.

"He can be such a prat sometimes, honestly..." Hermione said as she gave the letter to Harry to read.

Harry scanned the letter, his eyes widening as he did so. "Wow. Complementary tickets to Bulgaria's next match? Wicked! And he says you can bring 3 friends...Hmmmm..."

"Oh yes, I wonder who I'll take. I guess you and Ginny, but I'm not sure who else would want to come. Maybe George I guess..." Hermione said, carrying on with mock curiosity.

"Oh come on Hermione, you know Ron'll come around. He's just being...Ron. You know that."

"Of course I know that! But still! He can be so...AGH!" Hermione stamped her foot.

Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that Harry Potter!" And she slammed the door behind her, intent on finding Ginny.

Harry stared at the door. _Wow, _he thought. _I'm so talented...I can make two different girls storm out of the room in a matter of minutes._

Then he headed up to Ron's room to talk some sense into him, knowing that it would be a stupid thing to do to go out into the garden at the moment.

He didn't bother with knocking, he just walked right in. Ron glared up at him from his bed.

"What."

"Stop being a prat, will you?"

"Excuse me?" Ron said, sitting up and putting his legs on the ground.

"I said, stop being a prat. The way you jump to conclusions like that is really thick of you."

Ron glared at him. "Oh yeah? Well the way you had your hands all over my girlfriend was pretty thick of you too, there, _mate,_" Ron sputtered, putting an emphasis on the last word.

Harry rolled his eyes. He was used to this. "Seriously, you've gotta stop being so mental. I tripped on the rug, and fell onto her. Do you really think I'd go for Hermione? You of all people know how I feel about Ginny and-" his sentence trailed off as Ron broke in.

"You know what, Harry? I'm not so sure what I know anymore. I _thought _that I knew a lot of people, but now all of a sudden, Hermione's got a letter from _Vicky_," he said with a sneer. "And you're on top of Hermione..." he trailed off and slumped back on his bed.

Harry just looked at him.

"Blimey...what is with me? I know you're not into Hermione. And...And I know that Hermione's into me. Right?"

Harry nodded encouragingly. "She's seemed so happy lately."

"Yeah...Yeah she has..."

Harry was already walked back down the stairs, laughing to himself at how mental Ron could be sometimes, to go talk to Ginny when he remembered.

"Oh hey! You might want to clear your schedule for Bulgaria's next match!" he shouted back up to Ron's room.

"WHAT?"

**To be continued, soon hopefully. Reviews would be appreciated, and I am really sorry again that this has taken so long. I hope you liked this chapter, suggestions would be great!**

**And thanks so much to all the people who have reviewed! :)**


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